You Got Me (The Roots song)

"You Got Me"
Single by the Roots featuring Erykah Badu and Eve
from the album Things Fall Apart
ReleasedJanuary 25, 1999 (1999-01-25)
GenreNeo soul[1]
Length4:19
LabelMCA
Songwriters
Producers
The Roots singles chronology
"Adrenaline!"
(1998) 		"You Got Me"
(1999) 		"The Next Movement"
(1999)
Erykah Badu singles chronology
"One"
(1998) 		"You Got Me"
(1999) 		"Southern Gul"
(1999)
Eve singles chronology
"You Got Me"
(1999) 		"Girlfriend/Boyfriend"
(1999)

"You Got Me" is a song by American hip-hop band The Roots, featuring vocals from Erykah Badu (who sings the chorus) and Eve, then known as Eve of Destruction, who raps the second verse but does not appear in the music video. The track was released as a single from the band's fourth studio album, Things Fall Apart (1999), in January 1999.

Background

"You Got Me" was co-written by musician Jill Scott, who recorded vocals for the song's chorus and bridge. Her part was subsequently re-recorded by Badu at the insistence of MCA Records, who wanted a higher-profile collaboration for the album's official lead single (at the time, Scott was relatively unknown outside Philadelphia). When the group later went on tour, Scott joined them during performances of the song. The original version was later released on the 2005 compilation Home Grown! The Beginners Guide to Understanding the Roots, Volume One.

The song garnered the Roots and Badu a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2000. In 2011, the Roots, Badu and Scott all performed the song together at VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul.[2]

In 2026, after 26 years of the Grammy win, The Recording Academy and The Black Music Collective, fixed a technicality at the 2026 Recording Academy Honors by awarding Eve the Grammy Award for her contribution to the song. The award was presented by Harvey Mason Jr. In Eve's acceptance speech, she acknowledges that "what is yours, never can miss you" and credited radio personality Ebro for not giving up about the issue, placing it at forefront.[3][4]

Music video

The music video for "You Got Me" was directed by Charles Stone III[5] and features cameos from rapper and actor Common, plus Tracy Morgan as a rider on the bus.

Track listing

European maxi-CD single[6]

  1. "You Got Me"
  2. "Adrenaline!"
  3. "New Year's @ Jay Dee's"
  4. "You Got Me" (Me Tienes Remix)
  5. "You Got Me" (Cris Remix) bka Cris Prolific

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "You Got Me"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[22] Gold 15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States January 25–26, 1999
MCA [24][25]
United Kingdom February 22, 1999
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [26]

References

  1. ^ Pitchfork Staff (September 28, 2022). "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 26, 2023. The Philadelphia hip-hop group's fourth album boasts one of the most breathtaking ballads of the neo-soul era they helped guide, "You Got Me"...
  2. ^ "VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul". Rolling Stone. December 19, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  3. ^ Pen, Bobby (2026-01-30). "Eve finally receives Grammy recognition for The Roots' 'You Got Me' more than 25 years later". TheGrio. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
  4. ^ ISEGHOHI, CHASE (2026-01-30). "Grammys Finally Credit Eve for 27-Year-Old Classic Song Contribution". 106.7 WTLC. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
  5. ^ "The Roots - You Got Me (1999)". IMVDb.
  6. ^ "The Roots Featuring Erykah Badu – You Got Me". Discogs. 1999. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 8125". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  8. ^ "The Roots feat. Erykah Badu – You Got Me" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  9. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  10. ^ "The Roots feat. Erykah Badu – You Got Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  11. ^ "The Roots feat. Erykah Badu – You Got Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  12. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 6/3/1999 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  13. ^ "The Roots feat. Erykah Badu – You Got Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  14. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 6/3/1999 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  15. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart on 6/3/1999 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  16. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 6/3/1999 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  17. ^ "The Roots Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  18. ^ "The Roots Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  19. ^ "The Roots Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  20. ^ "The Roots Chart History (Rhythmic Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  21. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  22. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – The Roots feat. Erykah Badu – You Got Me". Radioscope. Retrieved July 12, 2025. Type You Got Me in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  23. ^ "British single certifications – The Roots feat. Erykah Badu – You Got Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 12, 2025. Select singles in the Formats field. Type You Got Me The Roots feat. Erykah Badu in the "Search:" field.
  24. ^ "Hot New CHR/Rhythmic Releases / AddVance Notice". Radio & Records. No. 1283. January 22, 1999. pp. 36, 52.
  25. ^ Oumano, Elena (January 23, 1999). "The Roots Are Very Together on 'Things'". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 4. p. 31. 'You Got Me' ships to R&B and crossover stations Jan. 25.
  26. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 22 February, 1999: Singles". Music Week. February 20, 1999. p. 31.
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